


Sunset Shimmer's Final Light

by Terra_star



Category: My Little Pony, My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
Genre: Gen, Movie: Friendship Games (My Little Pony: Equestria Girls)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:00:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27419194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terra_star/pseuds/Terra_star
Summary: Taking place just before the end of Friendship Games, during the Alternate Ending Deleted Scene, Sunset Shimmer decides to go back to Equestria, where magic isn't so complicated. But will her heart let her abandon her friends?
Kudos: 6





	Sunset Shimmer's Final Light

_Grief and regret tugged at Sunset Shimmer’s heart as_ she looked at her friends. She took a few steps away from them. “I’m leaving,” she announced without looking over her shoulder, even though the words felt forced out of her. _But I have no choice._

A gasp of shock rose up from her friends. For a few moments, they stayed silent. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Applejack asked at last, her voice filled with sadness.

“I-” Sunset Shimmer trailed off, turning to look at her. _Of course I don’t want to leave all of my friends, but…_ That was what she’d said in the hallway, too, when she had first told them she was thinking of going back to Equestria.

Rarity tried to look reassuring, but it was clear that the effort was too much for her. _So now that the portal’s back open, I guess you can finally head off to Equestria,_ Applejack had told Sunset Shimmer just a few moments ago. _Yeah. Now you can go and have all of those magical adventures you were after, Sunset,_ Rarity had joined in.

“I’m sorry. I really am. You all mean the world to me. But this is what I have to do. I can’t stay here.” The lie felt sour on her tongue. She knew she wasn’t telling the truth. She knew she was lying to herself. She knew that she _could_ stay, but the magic was too frustrating for her. _I don’t want to spend my whole life wanting things to be different than they are._ She’d finished off with the same words in the hallway.

“In that case,” Rainbow Dash said, “I guess this is goodbye?” When Sunset Shimmer didn’t reply, she added, “It’s okay. Even if you go back to Equestria, we’ll always be your friends. And you can always come to visit us.” Together with the other members of the Rainbooms, she ran up to Sunset Shimmer and they all gave her a big hug. Sunset Shimmer let herself relax in it for a little while, hugging them back, relishing in their warmth. Tears started rolling down her face, but she didn’t know whether they were tears of sadness or happiness. _Never again…_

They would never again fight evil together, never again discover more about the magic of friendship, never again sing and play in their band together. _It’s over…_

“Oh, Sunset,” Fluttershy murmured. “We’ll miss you so much.”

“Don’t forget us.” Even the usually cheerful and goofy Pinkie Pie was looking sorrowful now. “We’ve been through so much together.”

“I won’t,” Sunset Shimmer promised. With a huge effort, she forced herself to break away from her friends and walk up to the portal.

She hesitated in front of it for a moment, blood roaring in her ears. Excruciating pain lanced through her heart. Powerful claws of grief gripped her body. Looking back, she saw the familiar faces she’d grown to call her friends look sadly at her. They hadn’t tried to convince her to stay, but she knew that it was because they respected her decision, not because they didn’t want her to stay. Regret sparked at the edges of her thoughts, but she had to force herself to go on. She didn’t even try to wipe her tears off, because she knew the pain would follow her forever, like a shadow always hanging over her. As she walked through the portal, dazzling light swirled over her vision, blotting out everything else. A soft, rainbow tide rose up to engulf her, and she fell back into nothingness.

_Sunset Shimmer was plunging through a rainbow_ haze, yelling, when suddenly light blinded her again, and she came to an abrupt stop as she was thrown across a huge room and crashed against a wall with a painful thump. The room swam before her eyes, her vision blurry, and a familiar face loomed over her. “Sunset Shimmer?”

“Twilight?” Her heart quickened with excitement. She tried to stand on two legs, then she quickly remembered that she was a pony in Equestria now. She wasn’t a human anymore. She staggered for a few moments, then dropped onto all fours and found her balance. “I’m so glad to see you!”

“Me too,” the princess of friendship replied, though there was concern on her face. “But why are you here? Did you decide to come back to Equestria for good?”

“Well… yes. You told me it’s okay to come back, when we talked at the Cafeteria, right?”

“Of course,” Twilight Sparkle grinned at her. “You will _always_ have a home here. But your friends… _our_ friends, are going to miss you so much. It can’t have been easy for you to leave them.”

Before Sunset Shimmer could reply, the big green door of the room swung open, and five ponies burst in, running and flying up to Twilight. “That was so awesome!” exclaimed a pony with a blue coat and rainbow-colored mane and tail. Her magenta eyes were glittering with exhilaration, and she was flying happily around the place. “We should totally do it again!”

Sunset Shimmer stiffened. _Rainbow Dash._ She looked at the other ponies. _Rarity. Applejack. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy._ Shock froze her to the spot. She’d completely forgotten about Equestria’s counterparts of her beloved friends. As her mind whirled, a baby dragon with green spikes came in as well. _Spike._

It was as if she’d never left her world at all! She was suddenly flashed back to Rainbow Dash’s earlier words, right before she’d left. _Even if you go back to Equestria, we’ll always be your friends._ She shivered. _They’re all here too! Why do I feel as if nothing’s changed?_

Everyone turned to look at her as if just becoming aware she was there, and she realized she’d been gaping the whole time. “Sunset Shimmer?” Pinkie Pie blurted out.

“Uhmm…” was all Sunset Shimmer managed to say. She was completely taken aback at seeing her friends so soon again. _But they’re not really my friends, are they? I haven’t defeated evil with these ponies. They aren’t the ones who forgave me and taught me the magic of friendship. They aren’t the ones I know and love._ She looked sideways at Twilight. _Well, not all of them, anyways..._

She realized that they looked a bit uncomfortable. Twilight had told them that she wasn’t bad anymore, but it couldn’t be that easy for them to trust her again. Sunset Shimmer swished her tail low over the ground. “Hi!” she continued. “I’ve decided to come back and live here again. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I told her she’d be welcome,” Twilight added with a sparkle in her eyes.

“YAY!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, rushing up to Sunset Shimmer and giving her a big hug. “Sunset is here, and she’s one of us now!”

The others joined her and gave Sunset Shimmer a hug just like the one before she’d come here, chatting excitedly and showering her with love.

“Welcome back to Equestria, darling!” Rarity told her warmly.

“It’s good to see you again, Sunset!” Applejack greeted her.

“It seems like your heart has called you home,” Fluttershy added.

Sunset Shimmer was so overwhelmed by their warm welcome that for a few moments all she could do was let herself enjoy it. _I forgot how forgiving our group can be. After all, they’re the ones who forgave me, and I helped the other Twilight the same way they showed me there’s another way._ In the midst of her joy, a realization struck her hard. _No. This isn’t my group, and it never will be. This isn’t my home, either, but at least the magic is normal here._

Seeing the smiles of her friends’ pony counterparts, she couldn’t help but disagree with herself. _They might not be the same people, but they act the same and look the same… sort of. And Twilight is here. She’s the same one, isn’t she? Perhaps this_ is _my home. I came here for a reason, didn’t I?_

“Thanks,” she told her friends cheerfully. “I’m happy to be here.”

“ _That’s the weirdest thing I’ve_ ever heard!” Twilight Sparkle exclaimed.

“I knew you would want to hear about it,” Sunset Shimmer giggled. “Perhaps you’ll even meet each other one day, though I suppose it will be pretty weird to run into yourself.” It was later in the same day, and she was talking with Twilight in one of her castle’s hallways, sitting on the ledge of a window and looking out through it at the lush meadows and green forests of Equestria. The sun shone high in the clear blue sky, and Equestria seemed full of activity as ponies were everywhere to be seen.

“I’ll make sure to go back there soon,” Twilight told her. “I already miss my friends so much! And they’re bound to have trouble again sooner or later. Magic is on the loose in that world, after all.”

Guilt raged through Sunset Shimmer. She’d left her friends because the magic had been too much for her. Had she been selfish in her decision to leave?

Twilight must’ve noticed her expression, because she asked, “Sunset Shimmer? Is there something you’re not telling me? Something you’d like to talk about?”

How could Twilight know her so well? There _had_ been something else on her mind, nagging at her thoughts for a while now. “I guess… I guess I was thinking about how you introduced me to the magic of friendship and showed me another way, and how I did the same to the other Twilight. It feels… a bit weird, knowing you helped the person who helped you in the same way. I mean, you and her aren’t the same person, but…”

“I understand,” Twilight cut her off. “And I’m glad to hear you made a new friend and helped her so much.”

Sunset Shimmer remembered how she’d had to move on from her past, and how she’d had to prove herself to those who had doubted her. _My past does not define me, because my past is not today._

“Is Princess Celestia around?” Sunset Shimmer changed the subject. “I’d like to… talk to her.”

Twilight’s purple eyes rounded with understanding. “I’m sorry, but she’s not here. But you know that I told her how you’ve changed, and she’s proud of you.”

Sunset Shimmer sighed. She had hoped to talk to her old mentor in hopes of easing the pain in her heart a little bit. It was like a thorn was stuck there, and she couldn’t get it out, making her feel uneasy and stressed. _I came here because the magic in the human world was too stressful, but I’m just as stressed here…_

“Okay…” she began, but didn’t get to finish as a book in the library nearby started calling and vibrating. Twilight’s magical horn started glowing, and she used it to bring the book over to her and opened it, shock spreading over her face as she read what was written on the pages. “Oh, no…” the princess whispered.

“What is it?” Sunset Shimmer asked worriedly, anxiety flashing like lightning through her. Then she realized something. The book had been vibrating and calling because it had received a message from somewhere else. And there was only one place, only one book that could send a message to Equestria…

 _My friends!_ She suddenly realized that she’d left her journal at Canterlot High. Could it be that her friends were in trouble and needed her help, and were trying to contact her? _I never should’ve left them!_

“It’s our friends!” Twilight told her. “They say they met someone who needs our help, and they want us to come. We must hurry!”

Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes. Memories started patrolling through her mind. In distant parts of it, she could see her whole life in different pieces: her time here in Equestria before she’d journeyed to another world; her succeeding in getting the crown and turning herself into a raging she-demon; Twilight and the others lifting her up with their friendship; and lastly, she saw herself helping the other Twilight, showing her the most important magic of all. _The magic of friendship._

Cold determination surged through her, and she opened her eyes. “Then let’s go help our friends!”

“I thought you wanted to stay here,” Twilight objected.

“Not anymore. Friendship matters more to me than anything, and I know that as long as I have my friends by my side, I’ll be okay, even with magic running loose in that world. It’s what friends do: we take care of one another. _You_ taught me that.”

“Come on, then,” Twilight responded. Together they jumped off the ledge and ran side by side to the portal room, barely touching the ground in their hurry. _How weird to think that she has the same friends twice, in two worlds…_ Sunset Shimmer thought as they reached the portal. _But she doesn’t know_ me _twice._

“Ready?” Twilight asked her.

Sunset Shimmer hesitated in front of the glimmering portal for a few moments. She was about to go back on her own word. Would her friends even accept her help? She couldn’t help but feel that she’d let them down. They must miss her so much. _Which is exactly why I have to do this. I made the wrong decision, but I won’t let my friends down again. I’m going back to them for good._

“Ready,” she replied confidently, and together they plunged straight through the portal. _This is how friends do things. Together,_ she thought as the rainbow haze engulfed her again. After a brief tumble through it, she found herself back in front of the statue at Canterlot High, feeling dizzy for a few moments and standing on her knees with Twilight beside her. And in front of them…

In front of them stood her five friends, staring at her with a mixture of excitement, joy and relief. “Sunset! You’re back!” they cried as one.

She rose to her feet and ran up to them, and they all hugged like they hadn’t seen each other in a long time. _It does feel like a long time, even though it’s the same day… I missed them so much. How could I ever have left them?_

“I’m so sorry,” her voice cracked with emotion as she let go of the embrace and stepped back to look at her friends properly. “I should never have-”

“It’s okay,” Rarity assured her. “We understand, and all that matters is that you’re back. We don’t know what we would’ve done without you.”

Sunset Shimmer suddenly remembered that they’d wanted her to come because someone needed help. “Who’s the person who needs help?”

“ _You_ are,” Rainbow Dash told her.

“What?” She couldn’t believe her ears.

Applejack came to stand beside her and rested her hand on her shoulder. “After you left, we realized you didn’t take your journal with you, and we decided to contact Twilight to see how you were doing. She told us how upset you seemed, and how she noticed that you didn’t feel at home in Equestria. We would never have done this if Twilight hadn’t come up with this plan, because even though we missed you, we respected your decision, and we wanted you to be happy.”

Sunset Shimmer turned to Twilight. “ _You_ did this?”

“Yes.” Twilight smiled at her. “It was obvious how much you missed your friends, and I knew that if I just told you to go back where you belong, you wouldn’t have listened. You had to let your heart guide you when you learned that your friends needed your help.”

Sunset Shimmer felt light, and relief washed over her. Twilight was right. _This_ was her true and only home. This was where she truly belonged. “Thank you, Twilight.” Excitement bubbled up inside her as she looked at her friends. “Do you know what? We should celebrate! Pack your bags, all of you. We’re going on a road trip!”

Instant cheers and acclamations erupted from the girls. A thousand secret whispers told Sunset Shimmer that this was the start of a new magical era, in which _she_ would be the one to figure out how magic works in this world. The sunshine shifted and reached the spot where they were standing, enveloping them in warmth and golden light, and it seemed to Sunset Shimmer that no day had ever been brighter.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I got inspiration to write this from the Friendship Games Deleted Scenes on Youtube, where Sunset is worried about the magic and is thinking of going back to Equestria. There are even a few quotes from those scenes in this fic, and references to them because I wanted this to be connected to them, and this is supposed to take place during the Alternate Ending Deleted Scene, about half way through it, and instead of deciding to stay with her friends, I made Sunset actually go back to Equestria :)


End file.
